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Washington, DC - International Women’s Day (IWD). The theme, “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality,”  addresses  the continuing injustices faced by women across the globe.

Women farmers' yields, for example, are often 20–30 percent lower than for men's because of a lack of access to banking, financial services, and inputs. But filling this gap—and helping women get the same resources as male farmers—could lift 100–150 million people out of hunger worldwide.

“Women are the priority. The majority of smallholder farmers in Africa are women and, in urban areas, you’re primarily looking at women-led households. So we can’t solve hunger if we don’t have gender-sensitive programming that addresses access to opportunities for women, whether it’s through education or tools for cooking, like solar-powered stoves,” says Ertharin Cousin, executive director of the United Nations' World Food Programme.

Vicky Rateau, Campaign Manager at Oxfam America, echoes this, stating, “We must reform our global food system by addressing climate change, land grabs, and supporting smallholder farmers. And [that] starts with supporting women producers.”

Food Tank, CARE International, and the CGIAR Research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security recently released a report that shows how inequality determines who eats first and who eats worst, as well as how this shapes people’s ability to adapt to climate change. The report suggests that solutions around food production are not enough, and it demands more dialogue and action to address inequality in food systems.

There are many inspirational organizations working to advance this dialogue, amplify women’s voices, and support women farmers around the world. Here’s how some of these amazing groups are advocating for equality in agriculture: